1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to electronics. More specifically, certain embodiments of the present invention relate to voltage regulation, temperature detection, and temperature control.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computer systems, components, such as a central processing unit (“CPU”) a graphics processing unit (“GPU”), or a memory unit, can consume power at a high rate during operation. The amount of power that the components consume is controlled, in part, by a voltage regulator (“VR”), which maintains the voltage level of the components at a constant level. The high rate of power consumption during operation can cause the components to produce a large amount of heat. This heat must be dissipated in order to keep the components within their safe operating temperatures. If a component exceeds its safe operating temperature, the component may overheat which can lead to performance instability, malfunction, or permanent damage.
To avoid component overheating, computer systems can include peripheral devices that help keep the heat of each component at a safe operational level. An example of such a peripheral device is a cooling fan. A cooling fan is a fan, generally within a computer case, that can be used for cooling purposes. A cooling fan can draw cooler air into the computer case from outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heat sink to cool a particular component. A computer system can have one or more cooling fans (or other cooling devices) in order to maintain a safe temperature for its components.
In order to know when to activate a cooling fan, and to know how much power to provide to the cooling fan, a computer system needs to know the temperature of its components, especially the components that have a high rate of power consumption. In order to provide the temperature of its components, the computer system can include additional peripheral devices that monitor the temperature. An example of such a peripheral device is a thermistor. Another example is a diode. A thermistor or diode can monitor the temperature of a component, and communicate that temperature in order to manage safe operation of the component. If a computer system has multiple components that could potentially overheat, then a computer system can have multiple thermistors (or diodes or other temperature sensors), one for each component, in order to monitor the temperature of each component.
Therefore, a computer system may require multiple VRs, temperature sensors, and cooling fans, where these three types of peripheral devices can work together to ensure safe operation of its components. Furthermore, these three types of peripheral devices can be connected to each other using a data bus for adaptive control. For higher reliability, the computer system may need to increase its temperature monitor points and intelligent voltage and cooling controllers configured to control the VRs and cooling fans, respectively. However, any increase in additional peripheral devices results in an increase in printed circuit board (“PCB”) space and cost. Thus, it is difficult to obtain high reliability, high efficiency, and low power requirements, without also incurring an increase in PCB space and cost.